From the Darkness, It All Begins
by akai-hana
Summary: Tohru awakens in a strange house covered in blood, in the middle of nowhere. Why did it happen and who would do such a thing? Tohru has no idea, but the Sohma family wants revenge.
1. Forgotten

Hiya. This is my first fanfiction and I thought I'd abuse the loveable Fruits Basket characters for a while. I'd really appreciate feedback :-D And of course, I own no aspect of Furuba (Fruits Basket), although if I were super rich that would be my first priority!  
  
* * * * Chapter 1  
  
Trickle, plop, plop. It was the sound of a liquid dropping into a pool. It echoed through her mind. Plop, plop, plop. It seemed to get louder as she regained consciousness. With a jolt she opened her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings. Yet she discovered that she was enveloped in darkness.  
  
Finally after a minute of trying to get her bearings, a cry arose in her throat but nothing came out but horrible gasps of air. Confused, she tried to pick myself up from the heap on the floor. She then noticed that underneath her, a pool of reddish brown liquid started to form, slowly dropping from an unknown place on her body.  
  
"What...?" she tried to utter, yet nothing came out.  
  
Horrified, she stared at the ground and then at her blood soaked clothes yet not understanding the situation. Suddenly, she was overcome with a new sensation, a horrible pain erupting from her side and her head. It felt so surreal. She finally decided she needed to get up and to find the source of her pain. Using one of her elbows, she managed to hoist herself up and lean against a wall. It felt as cold as ice. Running her hands along her right side, she searched until she discovered the source of the blood and pain. It was a large gash, which she could feel outside of her clothes. Surprised, a loud cry escaped her lips. The cry echoed back at her, which made her realize that she didn't know where she was. Looking around, from her position on the floor she surveyed the room. Nothing was visible except for a small window on the other side of the room where the moonlight shone in, trickling across the floorboards. Alone in the dark, she realized she was more afraid of this house then the wound on her side.  
  
"I need to find a way out and go to the hospital," she thought although her body refused to move anymore. "What am I going to do!?" she cried at herself, angry with her body and more confused then ever before.  
  
"I MUST get up, right now. I'm sure there are people worried about me. I hate to cause any grief for anyone." She said to herself. But searching through her mind, she found that she didn't know who would be grieving.  
  
'Well, the first step is getting up,' she thought. Slowly rising to her feet, she experienced another wave of intense pain, yet this only strengthened her resolve. Holding her side and moaning from the pain, she managed to start walking, dragging herself against the wall. She was searching for an exit through the darkness-infested room. Focusing on the task at hand, she finally reached a door, she found a knob and was overjoyed with the discovery. Looking back in the room before continuing on, she saw that her wound had left a line of blood, dripping towards the floor. Sickened by the sight of her own blood, she slowly made her way into the next room.  
  
Turning the knob she slowly made her way through the doorframe and surveyed it. It appeared to be the kitchen with nothing in it but an old stove and a rusty sink. She was half relieved that she seemed to be alone, yet then realized again, there were no lights but moon. From what she could see, she realized that it was a very old house indeed. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and water damage stained the white walls. She could smell a mixture of horrible smells, that of decay and mold. Disgusted, she vowed to get out of this house, which reeked of death. Walking a few steps, the only sound that she could hear were the floorboards creaking. She again used the wall as a crutch and slowly moved towards a door in the distance. It seemed so far away, although so close. Wrapped in darkness, she was overcome by intense fear of what she might find outside. Would she find whoever did this to her or would she find someone that would help her? She didn't know, but she had to take the chance.  
  
She opened the door and found herself on a stoop outside. Relieved that she had made it out of the dingy house, she realized that nothing was outside but an old garage and rusty bicycles. But more alarming was that there were no other houses in her view. Sadness crept into her heart as the pain in her side increased. Resisting the urge to cry, she turned her head towards the backyard. The grass was overgrown and infested with weeds. It smelled like rotting garbage, rust and mold, just like the smell of the house itself. It made her stomach turn. Before trying to leave her place on the stoop, she realized that she heard a small cry in the distance. It was almost a plea, sounding very desperate, yet she could not tell what was being said. Listening intently, she tried to make out what the person was screaming. All she could tell was that the person was wailing incoherently and crying someone's name.  
  
'I wonder if they're calling for me?' She wondered to herself.  
  
Holding onto that thought, she made her way down the steps carefully holding her side. Painful as it was, she had to try to find that voice. Walking slowly, she started towards the road carefully keeping an eye on every tree and every bush, to make sure no one was there. After walking about 10 steps she heard a car engine approaching. Screeching from around a corner, a car came speeding towards her, and came to a halt. A tall man in a suit jumped out and ran towards her. She wasn't sure if she should be afraid or relieved. "TOHRU!" he cried with his arms outstretched. She took a step back not really sure what to think. With a horrified look on his face he looked at her and said,  
  
"Oh my god! I need to find Hatori; you're soaked in blood! I am going to kill him!"  
  
The look on his face changing from worried to angry. Rapidly grabbing his phone out of his pocket he started to dial his friend. "Yeah, I found her. She looks like she's had a hell of a night. We really need you, I'll meet you..."  
  
While on the phone, she stared at her hands completely stained red, and then again at the man who appeared to want to help her. He seemed to know her, but searching through her mind, she could not figure out who he was. Embarrassed and in pain, she reached up to rub her head and found a large bump on the side of it. '...Is this why I can't remember anything?' she thought to herself. As the man finished on the phone, he walked towards her,  
  
"We were so worried about you. Yuki's been searching the forest all night, and Kyo is tracking him down. He doesn't seem to be here anymore. Come on, let's go meet Hatori, let me help you get into the car."  
  
But before he took another step he looked at her questionably, "Why aren't you saying anything? I thought you'd be glad to see us?"  
  
She opened her lips and tried to form the words. Finally, her body started to work as she stared at the man. Tears welled up in her eyes as her body started to shake. With every ounce of effort she had she cried the words,  
  
"Who are you? Why am I here? Why was I just lying on the floor in a room I've never seen before? Why am I bleeding? Who did this to me? Why...?" She choked on her last words as the tears spilled out of her eyes.  
  
Through her tears, she could see the pain echoing through his dark brown eyes. Looking her up and down for a second, he saw the large red bump that stuck out from the side of her head. Understanding everything in just one moment, he cursed himself for not being here sooner. Taking her hand he told her,  
  
"Don't worry, we'll discuss everything after you get into the car, Tohru. I'll take you to Hatori and he'll fix you up and we'll figure everything out. "  
  
She looked into his kind but troubled eyes, still confused as ever. The pain had escalated into something she couldn't stand anymore. She had no other choice, but to trust him. And besides, she thought, 'he seems like he genuinely wants to help me'.  
  
"I'll come with you, but first tell me, who's Tohru?"  
  
* * * 


	2. Naked Men and the Figure in the Woods

*Hello and welcome to chapter 2 of my depressing fanfiction. I'd like to remind you all that of course, I don't own any characters or any aspect of Furuba. When I'm rich, it will be mine (oh yes it will be mine).  
  
CHAPTER 2: Naked Men and The Figure in the Woods  
  
Everything and everyone had gone pitch black. From the moment I sat down in the car, I grasped that I was neither asleep nor dreaming. The pain in my side had increased, yet I was too tired to continue crying. Through my dreamy confusion, my thoughts wandered through different states of unconsciousness followed by bouts of confusion, pain, uneasiness and a strange sort of happiness. After a long while of enduring my delusions, I realized the car had come to a halt. I opened my bloodshot eyes just a crack, and realized the man was staring at me. After a few seconds his gaze was heartbreaking. I had to look down; I didn't want him to pity me as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced up at him; he continued to look at me with concern,  
  
"There must be a way to get your memory back. Hatori will know." He looked down at my side and stated, "That cut looks mighty painful; Hatori will kill me if I keep you much longer. Don't worry; everything will be okay, I promise. I'll keep an eye out so Hatori doesn't get too frisky." He added.  
  
'That was an odd statement,' I thought. But then I noticed that while he seemed optimistic, his eyes did not lie. He was worried. I had wondered if he was always serious? Makes more sense now, considering I kept catching him looking at my ass. Instead of commenting on that, I meekly told him,  
  
"Don't worry, my cut doesn't hurt that much." I lied.  
  
He bought it, because he slowly led me towards one of the houses, probably in fear of hurting me even more. As we walked, I saw something so completely amazing. I had never seen so many beautiful houses before! It was like it's own village! While the beauty amazed me, it also made me feel very small and insignificant, like I had entered a world that was forbidden. Captivated by the glow of this Villa, I tried to take it all in. The awful pain I had previously felt had become an afterthought, almost a trivial matter. The magnificence of my surroundings had finally hit me. It was so surreal, even in the dark; the moon seemed to amplify the intensity of my surroundings. Sakura blossoms danced as they glided through the air, sometimes landing on the small pond that rippled at every petal, as it hit the surface. A short distance away, the sound of a deer scare knocked to the same gusts of wind; it was a sort of rhythmic symphony that added to the serenity of this new atmosphere. It left me breathless, like it was a place I'd never want to leave. But after thinking this, my body seemed to want to disappear as soon as possible. Maybe this was because this place seemed oddly familiar, although as much as I tried I could not remember. I desperately tried to recall anything whatsoever, yet nothing appeared but a dark empty space, where all my memories used to dwell. Sadness gripping me again, I forced myself to open my eyes and to once again examine the beauty rather than pity myself for forgetting all that was important to me. Snapping out of my daydream, I realized that the man was staring at me again. I wonder for how long? Why would he want to stare at me anyways? At a loss for words, I blurted out the first words that came to mind,  
  
"This place is amazing! It must be wonderful to live here!" I exclaimed.  
  
The man smiled as he watched my astonishment, but said nothing. I sensed that was the wrong thing to say, so I continued walking, using him for support. For some reason he held me rather rigidly, considering he seemed to like me a lot. For a while, I wondered why, but then I remembered that I was covered in my blood. No wonder, I must disgust him.  
  
As we approached the home, I noticed the sterility of this one in particular; it was quite unlike the others. The entire entrance room seemed to be surrounded in darkness. Not bothering to knock, another man appeared from out of nothingness. The only light came from his lit cigarette and the full moon draping through the windows.  
  
He wore a puzzling expression; it was neither of anger nor happiness. It seemed vacant somehow, like the emptiness that had plagued my mind since I awoke in that musty old house earlier that day. Turning on the lights, he surveyed me. Finally, he walked over and took my hand and he led me to a small examination table. He seemed very businesslike; you could say I admired him right from the start.  
  
Looking around the room, I saw nothing to distinguish him from any other doctor, except for a small frame on his desk. It was of a very beautiful woman. 'I wonder if she's his wife?' I thought, secretly very jealous.  
  
"I'm very sorry you had to go through this. I should have seen it sooner," he began. "But as you know, the entire family fears him, more than anything or anyone else in this world. I suppose we have good reason to be afraid" With this comment he seemed somewhat uncomfortable, but he continued, "That doesn't matter anymore though. You're here and I can take care of that wound on your side. It seems that it looks worse than it actually is. And of course, Yuki would be very upset if he saw you standing there bleeding."  
  
As soon as I heard the word 'bleeding' a sharp stab of pain quickly ran through my body. This man was very similar to this Villa; he had made me completely forgot about everything while he spoke. It was as if he had enchanted me, if only for a few minutes. I was relieved to have the burden removed, if only for a little while.  
  
However, my feelings only seemed temporary. I realized that they seemed to not want to upset me. I had to be strong so I wouldn't cause them any trouble. But of course, I was already a burden on them.  
  
Lying down on the table, Hatori started to clean the area around the wound. He said nothing as he went to work, but he was very gentle. Shigure had left the room a few minutes earlier. Not wanting to look for fear of crying, I turned my head away and was left with only my thoughts.  
  
I closed my eyes to get a different perspective. I had previously been so afraid that nothing made sense. But many questions remained and I could no longer keep them in. My mind screamed, 'How did these men know me!? Why are they so nice to me when all I've caused them is grief?!' They seem to good to be true. I searched through my blank mind, trying to recall my last memory before the musty old house. It was of my mother! Without thinking, I snapped out of my trance and exclaimed,  
  
"Does my mother know where I am? She must be so worried!" I secretly questioned whether she thinks poorly of me for associating with older men. But I said nothing of the sort; I didn't want to offend him.  
  
Hearing this, the attractive man looked at me with a puzzled look on his face. Taking a look at my bruised head he seemed to understand without another word.  
  
"I see..." he said.  
  
His reaction caused my stomach to turn into knots. They are afraid of telling me something, I can tell. I wonder what it is. What memory could be so bad that they refuse to tell me? My mind raced at all the possibilities.  
  
"Please stay still, Yuki will explain everything to you later. He will be able to explain much more than I can."  
  
'Who is this Yuki everyone is talking about?' I thought.  
  
The attractive man didn't say another word; as he continued take care of my wound. I watched him for a second in horror as he pulled out small slivers of glass. Quickly turning away, I had to think of anything else besides this.  
  
"Tohru you will be fine, please don't be so concerned. As for your memory, we can discuss this at a later time."  
  
With that simple statement, he had eased my pain and apprehension somewhat, especially since his visible eye shone of nothing but concern. I thought, 'I am such a terrible person to forget these good people. ' The tears that I had fought off for so long, started to pour from my eyes and trail down my cheeks.  
  
After a while, he finished and let me lay down on a futon in his room. I didn't know how I would repay his kindness, but I would somehow. I realized that I didn't know either man's name and it left me feeling very uneasy. Very soon I became so tired that none of that mattered. In my dreams, I could escape.  
  
I dreamt very strange things about cats, dogs, rats, seahorses and other strange animals. 'Why am I dreaming about cute little animals? I wonder what this could mean?' Multicolored poufs of smoke filled my mind and it became hard to see through the fog. Peering in front of me, I tried to focus on the figures. Getting a closer view, they started to become clear...  
  
'ARE THOSE NAKED MEN!!?  
  
(Part 2)  
  
While Hatori carefully took care of Tohru's cuts, Shigure was waiting in the other room. He had been pacing back and forth for a long time. While he was always the pervert and the joker, he discovered a new personality trait had emerged, anger. It had been growing for some time. Not only was he enraged with the man who had accosted her but with himself as well. He had let her go to the house unattended, because he believed in the kindness of people. Now he realized that it was too good to be true, and she had paid the ultimate price. That horrible man would never accept outsiders, no matter how wonderful, sweet, passionate, giving, and kind they were. Never.  
  
Sighing at his gloomy thoughts, he began to focus on the fact that Tohru would be Tohru forever, no matter if she forgot about us. But he couldn't stop his heart from aching. The feeling of being forgotten had to be the worst sensation of all. As he paced, he thought of her, and how much she had added to their lives.  
  
'I wonder when I realized how much I truly loved her?' Shocked at his own thoughts he sighed, 'I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. I need to call Yuki and Kyo to tell them that she was alive. Yuki would be the hardest considering their history, and what he had just told her. With Kyo, we have to worry about if he finds him. But I doubt Kyo will, that man is too deceptive to be caught.'  
  
Taking a deep breath, Shigure picked up his phone and started to dial Yuki, expecting the worst.  
  
"Damn him. People never change," he said to no one but himself  
  
**********  
  
(Part 3)  
  
Meanwhile, Yuki was tearing through the forest, screaming out her name. By the time it had reached his mouth, it came out as a hideous plea. He was so afraid that he would never see her again. He didn't think he could live any sort of life without her.  
  
'I mean can anyone? She is so essential to this entire family... and to me especially,' Yuki thought as the tears appeared in his eyes once again. Angrily wiping them away he continued his search.  
  
For a long while, he found nothing. He discovered that finding nothing could be more terrifying then finding something. Sometimes...  
  
'I can't believe this is happening, it just doesn't seem real,' he thought as he stopped to catch his breath against a large tree stump.  
  
Random images danced through his mind. They were all of her. They pierced his thoughts; one's of her smiling, laughing, crying.... he had seen them all. And most recently, the look on her face as he confessed...  
  
A loud ring blazed cut through his thoughts, and he realized that it was a call from Shigure. He rapidly pulled it out, hoping for good news. Before he had accepted the call, he knew that something was wrong. He braced himself for the impact... the worst possible scenario.  
  
"Shigure! Tell me now! Did you find anything? " He hurriedly asked him.  
  
From the other end of the line, Shigure's normal easy-going voice was filled with despair.  
  
"We found her, and she is alive..." he slowly started to say,  
  
"That's wonderful, I'll be there in a second!" he exclaimed, so extremely happy, not wanting to hear a single word more.  
  
'I guess my bad instinct was wrong. At least she's okay.' he thought as he hung up without another word from Shigure. 'At least she's alive'... the words echoed through Yuki mind, nothing else matters except for that.  
  
************************************  
  
(Part 4)  
  
"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!!" Kyo screamed at the top of his lungs.  
  
His words tore through the normally quiet forest and scared away every living creature for miles. He had finally lost it. Everything became too much to hold in any longer. The memories of Tohru streamed in, all racing a mile a minute.  
  
He had managed to keep it together until his call from Shigure. She would survive. Starting to be relieved, Shigure quickly added that she had no memory of anyone from the Sohma house or even herself. The only thing she remembered so far was her mother. Shigure had then told him that he should come home and be there to comfort her. But being as pigheaded as Kyo is, he knew that wasn't possible.  
  
Kyo couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it. She forgot everything that we had gone through?! She even forgot all about that stupid rat! As much as he liked to see him suffer, even this was too much. The most horrible thing would be the memory of her mother. How would she take it when she realized that her mom has been dead for years? His heart ached as Kyo thought of her having to experience that sting, once again. She had always been suffering with that memory of never saying 'take care' to her mom on the day she died.  
  
Stopping to rest, he raked his hands through his tangled bright orange hair.  
  
"This completely sucks! I need to find him. He needs to pay!" He yelled  
  
Softening for a second, he thought of her once again, a small image of her smile appeared, 'I suppose the thing to focus on, is that she's okay. This wont change who she is, and hopefully she'll remember us. The first thing I want to do is give her a hug, but I know I can't. Then she'd be really afraid.'  
  
His anger decreased and increased steadily, as he thought about different memories that they had experienced. Finally he settled on their last encounter, when she had told Kyo about Yuki. With this, his confidence increased tenfold. He became even more determined to find him and kick the crap out of him.  
  
As he ran, the moon danced all around him. He paid no attention to it, until he noticed a gleaming yellow string draped among the trees at the beginning of a clearing. As he approached it, he suddenly realized that it was one of her yellow ribbons, which that idiot had given her. Enraged he took it in his hands and looked closer. It was lightly spattered in her blood. 'Unforgivable!' he thought.  
  
Tearing his gaze from the ribbon a figure came into view. Kyo prepared himself, knowing he may very well turn out to be like Hatori. But for her, he would do anything. Even die if need be.  
  
"YOU ASSHOLE!" Kyo belted as he ran towards the man who was trapped in the shadows; his fist ready to start beating him to death. He didn't move an inch... waiting for him.  
  
*Message from Akai_Hana. I hope you liked it. :-D Please RXR and let me know your thoughts. Pretty Please...? 


	3. Caught in the Web

Disclaimer: Don't try and sue me for thisÉ I don't own them. Plus I'm poor. Thanks to everyone who commented on the last two chapters, I really appreciate it! (Btw this next chapter is especially angsty and Akito is a bitÉinsane).

Caught in a Tangled Web 

Kyo stood a few feet from the man he despised. 

"You! For what you did to Tohru, you deserve to die! Don't you dare run away from me! Kyo's entire body shook with anger with every word he uttered. All Kyo could think about was the pain Tohru had to endure because of Akito. He had never been so infuriated in his entire life.

"Haha, Kyo, you're very amusing. Who's running away? I certainly never would, least of all from you," Akito smugly replied.

"She was the only one who cared for usÉ everyone else would have rejected us! Why would you try to take her away?

A small smile escaped Akito's lips as he sat down on a moldy tree stump. 

"You're very pathetic. Besides, you really think she accepts you? She may have seen your monster form but I can guarantee that she is still afraid of you. You should thank me for getting rid of her. Everything I do, I do it for the good of this family. Why can't you see that?

A thought entered Kyo's mind, ÔAkito thinks she's dead? If I don't take care of him, he might go after her again.' 

Akito continued, "Besides, why do you care so much? She is just a silly little girl. An evil grin crossed his face, "didn't you know that Yuki confessed his undying love to her? She would have never returned your feelings. Not like that really matters anymore though, considering the circumstances. Your destiny is just like every other cat in this family; to be feared and left alone to die!

With that last comment, Kyo knew he wouldn't be able to hold back his anger much longer. Akito made his blood boil and Kyo knew he enjoyed doing that. He had enjoyed it since they were children.

"You asshole! Don't you ever talk about Tohru like that! You don't care about anyone except for your own selfish pride. You act all mighty, but in reality you're just twisted and sad. You are the one who deserves to feel this pain, not us. You deserve to die, and I'm not willing to wait for the curse to do it!" Kyo shouted.

With these last words, Kyo charged forward trying to avoid the broken branches and holes in the ground, which would slow him down. A small smile shone in the moonlight as Kyo ran towards him with his fists balled, ready to strike. Akito knew that he had the upper hand, because Kyo's judgment was always impaired when he was angry. He was definitely prepared.

From behind Akito's back, he held a small but very sharp knife, which he had taken from the abandoned house, earlier that day. Luckily for Akito, Kyo didn't notice. He suppressed a giggle as he gripped it ready to attack. It happened so fast, that all Kyo saw was a small flicker of metal and then a sharp pain in the center of his chest.

At the instant Kyo felt the metal, he stopped in his tracks. He looked down and saw Akito's knife sticking out of his chest. Dumbfounded, he stared for a minute before really realizing what had happened. Once reality sank in, he cursed at himself. Kyo looked up at Akito, who was only standing inches away. Watching him with wide eyes, Akito grinned back at him, obviously pleased with himself. With that, Kyo slowly slumped to the ground, gasping in pain. Once again, he thought, his temper had got the best of him.

Akito stood in front of Kyo, witnessing the pain he had inflicted. The sight of Kyo's blood running down his chest, made Akito's smile grow even bigger. It made him feel much more powerful than hurting a silly little girl. 

"Too bad, you weren't as much fun as Tohru was. She at least screamed a few times." He sighed, "I will be waiting if you wish to discuss this again." Akito said, still watching Kyo on the ground, groaning in pain. 

But Kyo was no longer listening to anything but his own raspy breaths and rapid heartbeat. His eyes slid closed as the pain washed over him. He dug his hands into the soft ground and tried to hoist himself up. But as much as he tried, his body wouldn't respond. From the corner of his eye, a small tear ran down his face as he pictured Tohru smiling. Wishing he had not shown Akito that single tear, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at him. Kyo cursed himself for not being stronger or faster; otherwise he might of won.

"Poor cat. You can do nothing but think of her, huh? Well I suppose the rivalry between you and Yuki is over, considering that I killed her. You'll have to find something else to fight about then. I really do pity you, you should never let your emotions get the best of you.

Kyo's vision soon became blurry as he struggled to hold onto his last pure thought, the dream he had once envisioned. He found that his dream had shattered in pieces and it was all because of Akito. ÔI'm never good enough for her; she deserves to be with Yuki. But I should have been the one to confess.

Akito watched Kyo for a moment before slipping into the darkness of the forest once again, the smile never leaving his face. ÔServes them right, thinking they can defy me.

*********

At that very instant, a sudden chill ran down Shigure's back. ÔSomething is wrong, I can feel it. He wrinkled his forehead in frustration as he tried to figure it all out. Sniffing the air, he smelled Yuki approaching the house. ÔYuki is here. That must mean that something happened to Kyo. In his mind, that was the only other option. He knew that Akito would not be taken down so easily.

Shigure cursed himself for not stopping the enraged cat, but there are very few who could stop Kyo once he was that angry. And of course, the one who could of done it was lying in a pool of their own blood. He had no right to try to stop Kyo. He knew the pain that he must going through. It must be tearing him up inside.

At that moment, Yuki rushed in. "Shigure, is everything okay?" his grey eyes shone with concern. "How is Tohru?

"She is fine physically. But more importantly, we need to leave and get Kyo at once. I will explain the rest of Tohru's situation in the car. One thing I can tell you is that Kyo's life is in danger. I knew I shouldn't of let him go.

"Fine," Yuki said, obviously angry that he would have to save the stupid cat once again.

"Hatori! We're leaving to check on Kyo. Please let us know if there are any news.

Peeking his head in the room, Hatori peered at them. Yuki was surprised to see pity in Hatori's eyes. His glance made him even more apprehensive.

"Yes, I will do that. Be careful you two." Hatori calmly replied.

Once Shigure and Yuki got into the car, Shigure explained the entire situation including Tohru's memory loss. While he explained, Yuki didn't say a word. But Shigure knew his heart had to be breaking and he knew that he was blaming himself. After a long silence, Yuki glanced at Shigure,

"So she doesn't remember anyone or the curse? Yuki said, exasperated.

"It appears so. But that's not to say that she won't ever regain her memories again. It may take a very long time to recover all of them, according to Hatori. We were worried the most about her wound, but she seems to be very tough. Our main goal for the next few weeks is to not upset her, especially with the news of her mom's death. I don't know how we'll avoid that topic though, considering she keeps asking about her.

"She doesn't remember that either?" Yuki stared out the window at his reflection. "Damn him." He muttered.

After a few minutes of driving through the woods, Shigure and Yuki got out of the car. The full moon was even higher in the sky as they trudged through the bushes, looking for any sign of Kyo or Akito. Suddenly, Shigure stopped and sniffed the air. "I smell both of them! Be ready for anything because there is also the scent of blood in the air," he exclaimed.

They both tensed up as they followed the scent, waiting to see what Akito had planned for them. The trees swayed with every breath of wind, dancing to an eerie song, which penetrated the forest. To Yuki, the woods seemed desperate, as if they were alive and seeking some sort of companionship from him. The branches on the trees reached and tried to touch them as they walked deeper in the thick of the woods. Yuki struggled to break free from their grasp as they attached themselves to his legs, pulling him away from Shigure. ÔHas Akito enchanted this forest, or am I just going crazy,' he thought. ÔThat stupid cat had better be okay.

A sudden rustle from behind Yuki, startled him and interrupted his thoughts. He discovered that his earlier travels through the woods had slowed him down immensely. One moment he was standing next to Shigure, and the next he found that everything had turned completely pitch-black. He reached out to grab anything he could; but in an instant, he found both his arms and legs pinned to the ground. He felt an icy breath blowing in his ear, piercing his eardrums. Instantly knew who it was, there was no doubt.

"How _dare_ you! You've defied me for the last time! Did you forget that I am the head of this house? Did you really think that you could confess to her and she would not pay the ultimate price? You should remember that while you are cursed, you belong to no one else except for I. It's your fault she was hurt, just as I told Kana. You should have learned your lesson from Hatori's blindness.

Akito's words sickened him.

"You do not own me. She accepts me for who and what I am

Akito's sinister laugh broke in before he could finish,

"But I killed herÉ how does that feel? It probably feels like I feel every day, cold and empty. Ah but wait, I'm sorry, did you not know that I killed her, orÉ" he paused, "I guess she didn't die then, did she? I see, well I'll just have to do a much better job next time. She's much stronger then I thought.

"Akito, why do you torture us? When we can be happy?" he said as he struggled to free himself from Akito's ice-cold hands.

"Why? Because if I am not allowed to be happy, then neither should any other cursed being. Just remember that none of this would have ever happened if Hatori had listened to my order and erased her memory. He will be next for defying my order. You might want to relay that message to him that next time you see him. Oh, and tell Shigure I will never forgive him for his betrayal.

With that last word, Akito shoved Yuki's face in the dirt, causing him to inhale dirt and mud.

"See, you're still helpless and afraid. It's very sad indeed. Even when love is at stake, you can do nothing to me." Yuki could sense that Akito was taking great pleasure in torturing him; he always had ever since they were small. 

"Oh and just one more thing to rememberÉ" as he took out a knife and stabbed Yuki in the leg. "While I may not be able to kill you, I can hurt everyone you love. You might want to think about that before confessing your feelings to another girl.

A mingling of Yuki's screams and Akito's laughter echoed through the forest.

*************

With a jolt, Tohru sat upright in her bed. 

"OwwÉ" she mumbled, as she sat rubbing her side. The room was completely dark and silent. When she heard another voice, it made her jump once again.

"Are you okay Tohru?" A sleepy-eyed Hatori asked her, switching on the light.

"AnoÉ Hatori-san right? I thought I heard screaming. It just frightened me.

"Ah, it was probably just the wind. You've had a stressful day, you should get some sleep." 

"You're probably right. Did Shigure-san leave?" 

"Yes, he had to take care of some business. He should return shortly. Now, go to sleep.

She looked down at her bandaged wound and winced. Her face turned a shade of scarlet, "Uh, I'm sorry, but my side really hurts. Can you help me please?

Without a word, Hatori got up and braced her by her shoulders, slowly helping her lay down on her bed.

"Arigato Hatori-san" she whispered as she her eyes closed.

"Dooitashimashita." Hatori whispered back.

He stared at her for a moment and thought about the last few years of his life. How it had changed since he met her! She always brightened every room and even made him feel more human. She gave him hope that he too might love again. Of all the times he wished he were not cursed, he had never wished for it more than at this moment. He wanted one, single embrace from the person who had melted his seemingly cold heart. But he knew that wishing would do no good though: he was cursed forever.

With his last thought, he reached over and touched her bruised face. She stirred slowly, which quickly made him move his hand away. Unable to resist, he slowly bent down and gave her a small but heartfelt kiss on her forehead. He was amazed that anyone could hurt someone so pure and innocent. Akito was indeed a very sick man. 

ÔCould he be saved? Does he even deserve it?' he wondered. ÔEither way, I hope she remembers us soon. I think everyone will be devastated if she doesn't." He sighed and sat down on the chair next to her bed. His eyelids soon were heavy as he drifted off into a cozy sleep. He dreamt of Kana, which had been the topic of most of his dreams lately, or at least since he had known Tohru. 

As soon as he had fallen asleep, Tohru's eyes popped open. Completely confused, She brought her hand to her forehead for a brief second and touched the spot where he had kissed her. Her vision became blurry as her tears started to well up. Before another thought entered her mind, she went to sleep with un-cried tears lurking in her eyes.

Her dreams were not as cozy as Hatori's though. They had become more frightening than real life. She constantly heard an eerie screaming, which was always crying her name. She was always wailing out his name in return. But before she reached him, everything turned dark red and she felt an incredible pain like no other. And following was always a sinister laugh and a hideous smile. ÔWill I ever know who I am?' she pondered in every dream. The answer he always gave was, "Not while I live and breath. You are doomed.

* To be continued! *


End file.
